Wild new business comes to Gentry

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

GENTRY ó A new business in Gentry, Critter Control of Northwest Arkansas, helps area property owners deal with pesky wildlife and the problems the wild critters can create. While Arkansas is the natural state and many residents enjoy seeing wildlife in their backyard, the problems an animal such as a squirrel, raccoon or opossum can create if they move into an attic or basement are every property ownerís worst nightmare. Animals like pigeons, bats and sparrows can also create health hazards when they move into a business. Critter Control owners Chriss and Shawnee Reese moved to Gentry in December from Gainsville, Fla., where Chriss managed a Critter Control franchise for two years. Chriss said he started rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife as a child and has always enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping. Chriss attended wildlife management school and owned his own taxidermy business. The couple is originally from eastern Oklahoma and moved to Gentry to be near family in the area. They also choose Benton Count - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Fall in Colcord area tests emergency medical response in N.E. Oklahoma

By Jeff Della Rosa jeffd@nwanews.com

COLCORD, Okla. ó An accident four miles north of West Siloam Springs, Okla., tested the emergency medical services in northeast Oklahoma and the nerve of the West Siloam Springs police chief. It was one of the first calls that Oklahoma EMS responded to in the area since Siloam Springs stopped its service into Oklahoma Dec. 31. A Jay, Okla., ambulance made the 30-minute trip to the scene after some confusion between Oklahoma dispatchers Tuesday morning, said Larry Barnett, police chief of West Siloam Springs Police Department. ìI donít want to wait until somebody dies,î he said. ìWe need to get something resolved.î A young woman had fallen in a hay barn while trying to feed horses along New Life Ranch Road. The woman was barely conscious, Barnett said, and had to be transported to the hospital by helicopter. About one hour passed from the time she called 911 to when she was taken to the helicopter. The woman hit her head when she fell, and crawled to find a signal on her cell phone to call 911, Barnett said. T - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

U.S. Census Bureau has new jobs available

By Gary Lookadoo garyl@nwanews.com BENTON COUNTY ó Even in the current, tough economic times, some jobs will be filled, and any local resident might get one of them, officials of the U.S. Census Bureau said recently. The government needs to hire people to work on the next federal census and must hire people now to be ready to meet a deadline imposed by the U.S. Constitution. And they need to be people already living in the areas in which they will work, said Louis Anderson, manager for the U.S. Census Bureau for the state of Arkansas. To conduct census operations in 2009 or 2010, some 125 people will have to be hired in Benton County alone, and a similar number will have to be hired in Washington County, he said. ìThose are really, really busy areas for us, so weíve got somebody concentrating on each county,î Anderson said. The Constitution mandates that a census be taken in 2010, and many Arkansans will be needed to fill jobs in their communities to complete the census, said Jerry Young, partnership coordina - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Richardson Center receives two grants

By Jamie Smith jamies@nwanews.com

SILOAM SPRINGS ó Children with disabilities being served at a regional nonprofit agency will have better learning and playing opportunities, thanks to two recent grants. The Elizabeth Richardson Center serves children with a wide range of physical and developmental disabilities. The center has main offices in Springdale and Fayetteville, and opened a satellite office in Siloam Springs in August. The Siloam Springs location is a preschool off Cheri Whitlock Road. The two grants will benefit the Siloam Springs location, said Susan Neyman, the centerís director of marketing and development. One grant, $15,000 from the Alcoa Foundation, the parent company of the Kawneer Co., will be used to provide materials for the preschoolís learning centers. The other grant, $10,000 from the Glen Conklin Charitable Trust Foundation, will provide a new gated, outdoor play area. - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Health clinic could open this month

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

SILOAM SPRINGS ó If all goes well, the western side of Benton County can expect to have a health clinic by the end of January, said Loy Bailey, county health director. ìWe are monitoring it week by week, and I am hoping that by the first of (February), we are close to starting up over there if we do not get any interruptions,î Bailey said, noting that he has some reservations about giving an official opening date because complications have been known to occur. Originally, Bailey hoped to have the clinic opened before the start of the new year, but because of unforeseen circumstances, the project was delayed. ìWe had some things that popped up unexpected with laying the tile, and we had some plumbing issues to address for the rest room in the lobby area,î Bailey said. The clinic, at 101 University in downtown Siloam Springs, has been needed in the city since the original health clinic there closed two years ago. ìWith the cost of gasoline this last year, it has been tough for people to make the round-trip driv - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Local author's new book available at Talbot Library and Mueseum

From Staff Reports

COLCORD, Okla. ó Local author and Talbot Library and Museum Board Member Jean Hendrickson Hurt has been writing humorous stories and reminisces of her growing-up years during the 1930s in the southern Delaware County, Okla., area for many years. Her articles have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. Many of her stories and poems were recently compiled in a book entitled, ìGrowing Up R.I.C.H., Raised in Crazy Hollow.î The book includes photos, too, as well as family history. Hurt is a descendent of a pioneer Cherokee settler to the area, Lucinda Still Martin. Hurtís genealogy research on Lucinda is included in the book. The 104-page book is a paperback and would be of interest to all ages, no matter what their childhood experiences, a release from the museum states. Hurt offers a humorous viewpoint on all of lifeís experiences. Autographed copies of the book are available at the Talbot Library and Museum, 500 South Colcord Ave., Colcord, Okla. The books are on sale for $12 each (plus tax). TLM - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Decatur School District woes one of top stories for year

From Staff Reports

DECATUR ó ìTrouble for the Decatur School Districtî was named number five in the Benton County Daily Recordís list of the top ten local stories for 2008. ìDespite being the smallest school district in Benton County, the Decatur School District made big headlines this year,î the article stated. The Arkansas Department of Education took control of the Decatur Schoolís operations in late July because it was discovered to be more than half a million dollars in the red. The takeover was an alternative to proposed action, which was to annex the district into one of its neighboring districts. By dissolving the local school board and having the state take control, the district was able to remain intact. In August, retired Gravette superintendent LeRoy Ortman was hired to oversee Decatur. He reports to Ken James, education commissioner for the Arkansas Department of Education. By October, the district already had made strides toward becoming fiscally solvent. The district initially had been predicted to end the next f - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

DARP assists school

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó Volunteers from DARP, Decaturís drug and alcohol recovery program, helped Decatur School maintenance employees replace a sewer line in the high school cafeteria on Dec. 20. The five volunteers hauled cement out of the building after it had been broken up with a jackhammer, and then used picks and shovels to dig the rest of the way down to the sewer line. The volunteers replaced the pipes and filled the trench back up with gravel. ìIt was worth having their help,î maintenance employee Doug Holly said. Holly completed pouring the concrete on Tuesday morning so the cafeteria would be fixed and ready for students to return on Jan. 5. - Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wright completes his basic training From Staff Reports

Jonathan Wright, 18, of Gentry, graduated from boot camp at the United States Marine Corps Depot in San Diego, Calif. on Dec. 19, 2008 and is now a private in the Marine Corps. Wright completed 13 weeks of intensive basic training as one of 347 recruits in Training Platoon 2141. Following a leave, Wright will report for a month of military combat training at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego. From there, he is to report to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for military occupation specialty schooling. Wright is the son of Lea and Billy Glasscock of Gentry and Patrick and Michelle Wright of Bella Vista. - Wednesday, January 7, 2009